ARLINGTON, Texas — The Blue Jays sweated out (literally) a 7-5 victory over the Texas Rangers at steamy Globe Life Park on Wednesday night.

The Jays led 6-0 after the first inning and 7-0 following the top of the third, but the Rangers kept chipping away at the lead. In the end, solid relief pitching Ryan Tepera in the eighth and Roberto Osuna in ninth clinched the win for Toronto.

The Jays man-handled Texas starter Tyson Ross from the start, putting a six-spot on the board in the first inning on six runs on five hits including a two-run home run by second baseman Darwin Barney and a two-run double by short stop Ryan Goins. The last time the Jays scored six runs in the first was June 8, 2015 against the Marlins. Toronto added another in the third when Goins grounded out to score Justin Smoak from third. Smoak had a double and single in the game.

The Rangers got to Toronto starter Joe Biagini in the third. Joey Gallo led off with double to left and two batters later, Shin-Soo Choo smashed a home run to deep right, making the score 7-2. Gallo went 3-for-4 with two doubles and an inside-the-park homer, the first time in his career he posted three extra-base hits in a game.

Biagini was aided in large part by some great defence, though left-fielder Steve Pearce miss-read Gallo’s inside the park home run to left in the fifth. Pearce, who went 3-for-3, left the game after going down hard on the play, suffering a right knee contusion, though X-rays were negative. He is listed as day-to-day.

Biagini was pulled in the sixth after giving up a two-out single to Mike Napoli. His replacement, Aaron Loup, gave up a double to Gallo and then Delino DeShields knocked in Gallo and Napoli with a single to left off Danny Barnes, bringing Texas to within two. Biagini was coming off his worst start heading into Wednesday’s game, giving up a career-high seven runs on eight hits against the Chicago White Sox. He lasted just one plus inning, his shortest start ever.

Toronto DH Kendrys Morales smacked a hard-hit ball to the wall in left-centre to lead off the eighth but was thrown out trying to turn it into a double. Almost anyone else on the team would have had a double standing up on the play.